Shanghtin

December 18, 2007
KNG

Jinghpaw Mungdaw, N'mai Hka Hku na Chahpwi e shachyaw na myihprap wanjak masing de Miwa wanjak galaw masha ni marai 300 daram du nga sai lam, buga masha ni kawn chye lu ai.
Shanhte gaw, Chahpwi Mare a dingdung maga deng 10 tsan ai, Hpa La Mare makau hta, hpunpyen ginsum 15 jan hte shara jahkrat nga sai hte dai ginsum langai hta marai 20 kawn 25 rawng nga ai lam, buga masha ni kawn chye lu ai.
Ya ten, Miwa ni gaw ga htu jak (excavator) 4 hte ga ganaw jak (bulldozer) 4 ni hte bungli galaw hpang nga sai hta, grupyin buga masha 100 daram mung, shani shagu bungli sa galaw nga sai lam, myi-chyaw-mu buga masha ni kawn chye lu ai re.
Miwa ni gaw, shanhte hpe hpahka shadu jaw ai jauman bu bungli galaw masha langai hpe pyi gaw, lani mi shabrai Kyat 4,000 jan jaw ai majaw, gyupyin buga masha yawng ngu na gaw, gunjang manu law ai Miwa ni kaw bungli sa galaw nga ai lam, matut chye lu ai.
Bungli galaw masha ni law malawng gaw, Chahpwe grupyin-- Mangdung, Hpa La, Kawng La mare hkan na rai nna, Sawlaw lahta na buga masha ni mung shanglawm ai lam, Chaphwi buga masha ni lakap let chye lu ai.
Bungli galaw buga masha ni tsun ai rai yang, "Miwa ni gaw wanjak jep chyam ai lam hpe gaw atsawm n galaw ai sha, N'mai Hka hkingau la-pai la-hkra na nlung lungbra ni hpe tawk htaw la nga ai re", nga ai. Ndai nlung ni hpe kaba de pe mi tinghkum, galu de pe 3 rai, din din di nsam hte hkrak gaboi tawk la nhtawm, shani shagu Miwa mawdaw kaba langai yawm dik hte, Pang Wa, ga jarit chyinghka hku nna, Miwa Mung, Tengchong mare de htaw la nga ai lam, chye lu ai.
Chahpwi Hka Wanjak Masing hpe Myenmung kata Asia World Company hte Miwa ni jawm galaw ai rai nna, masing hpe daning May shata hta, Jinghpaw Mungdaw, Myen Hpyendap Daju, Dap-up Dukaba Ong Myit wa hpaw ya ai re.
Maga mi de rai yang, Chahpwi de Miwa wanjak galaw masha ni du bang wa ai ten kaw nna, dai ginra na amyushayi sha ni hkumshan dutsha lam law wa ai lam, buga kanu kawa ni hpe lakap let chye lu ai.
Burma Army battalions grow summer rice in civilian fields

December 16, 2007
KNG

Burma Army battalions are gearing up to grow summer rice in farmlands belonging to local farmers soon after the paddy harvesting season is over in Northern Burma, said local sources.

Early this month, several paddy fields along Waingmaw-Chipwe car road owned by Wuyang Villagers in Waingmaw town in Kachin State, were forcibly harvested as preparation to grow summer rice with government harvesting machines on the direct orders of the ruling junta's Kachin State Commander Maj-Gen Ohn Myint. The order has come even before the traditional hand-harvesting activities have begun, said paddy field owners.

The paddy fields owners said that machine harvesting reduced 30 percent of the yield in each acre. The harvesting machines lead to wastage of rice, eating into the farmer's earnings.

Burmese soldiers from four army battalions have been based separately near the paddy fields in Waingmaw areas since last month. And they are now ploughing the areas, said local farmers.

According to farmers, about five soldiers are camped at their villages and work their paddy fields with ploughing machines, tractors and cattle. The Mayan-based Infantry Battalion (Kha-La-Ya) No. 260 and Myitkyina-based Horse Battalion are camped in Wuyan Village whereas the Waingmaw-based Infantry Battalion (Kha-La-Ya) No. 58 and Shwenyaungbin-based Light Infantry Battalion (Kha-Ma-Ya) No. 321 are camped in Labang and Tangbau Villages, the farmers added.

However, the army has mainly selected to grow the summer paddy on the roadsides along Waingmai-Chipwe car road. Local farmers have been forced to grow paddy in fields away from the main roads by the authorities, a farmer in Wuyan told KNG today.

"The authorities provide nothing to support growing summer rice. It will be impossible to grow summer paddy ourselves and make profits," farmers in Wuyang said.

Despite the junta not providing support with any farming equipment and fertilizers to the farmers, they have been forced to sell the 'dutiful rice' which means 2 tin per acre (Burma's standard unit of measurement of rice is 1 tin = 10.5 Kg) to local Burma Army battalions, annually through the junta's village administrative office (Ya-Ya-Ka) at specially reduced prices, according to local farmers.

Bird flu contained in Burma: WHO




News - Mizzima News
Monday, 17 December 2007
Despite detecting a case of human infection of the deadly avian flu, the World Health Organization said it had contained the H5N1 flu, which has reportedly been spreading in eastern Burma 's Shan state since last month.

Dr. Caterina Casalini, the WHO head in Rangoon told Mizzima that with culling of birds and chickens and by providing effective awareness training, the spread of the deadly virus has been contained.

"We have been doing all we can, so basically, the situation is under control. And the patient who was confirmed to be affected by the H5N1 disease has recovered and has been discharged from the hospital," Dr. Casalini said.

WHO said it has collaborated with other organizations including UNICEF and has begun to check on poultry and animal farms. And also conducted awareness training on how to prevent and cure the flu.

"We control the movement of animals and prevent the sick birds from reaching to other areas and on the human side basically we cooperate with UNICEF and other agencies for doing public awareness training and communicate with the people of affected areas. And we are still investigating," Dr. Casalini said.

The WHO Myanmar head praised the Burmese government for cooperating in the culling of birds and containing the disease saying "they [government] have done an excellent job," on the bird flu virus protection mission.

On Saturday, WHO as well as the Burmese government through its state-run media confirmed of a human infection of the deadly bird flu.
Nam Khan Than, a seven year-old girl in Kyaing Tong township in eastern Shan State , was taken to hospital on November 27 after detecting avian flu and developing symptoms of fever.

However, the girl survived as she was quarantined at the hospital and was given timiflu pills. She was discharge from the hospital on December 12.

Contradictory statements

Contradicting the WHO's statement that the disease has been contained, local sources in Shan state said bird flu has been detected in eastern Shan state since last month, and with the authorities concealing the cases, there are possibility of other human infections.

A local resident in Kyaing Tong, who requested not to be named, said there could be other human infection as the disease has been spreading since last month after more than 600 ducks from China was brought in by a local merchant.

"We are worried that there are many people suffering from fever. We cannot be sure that the flu has not infected others," added the local.
With local authorities concealing the case, measures to contain the flu started late after the first case of the death of birds in the region, the local said.

Possible Confusion

However, a Thailand based ethnic Shan reporter, said the locals might be confused between malaria fever and bird flu fever.

Sai Moeng, who followed the bird flu outbreak in Shan State , said while there are reports of local residents suffering fever, the causes could also be Malaria, which is common in the region.

"People suffer from malaria in this season, so it can be that local residents are confusing it with bird flu," Sia Meong said.
However, Sai Meong does not rule out the possibility of more people infected with the flu.

Kaladan News
December17, 2007

Burmese police arrest man for writing to BBC

Buthidaung, Arakan State : A man was arrested and fined money by the police on December 2, for writing a letter to the BBC ( British Broadcasting Corporation ) about the sufferings of Rohingya tribe of Arakan State , a relative of the victim said.

The victim was identified as Hajee Amir Hakim (52), son of Mogul Ahmed, and hailed from Tha Yet Pyin village of Buthidaung Township in Arakan State , Burma .

In November, Haji Mogul Ahmed had sent a letter to the BBC through the post office of Buthidaung Town of Arakan State, Burma . In the letter, he described that the Rohingyas are provided with White NRC (National Registration Cards) by the ruling junta forcibly, which prohibited the Rohingyas from citizenship. However, the Rakhines get Red NRC Cards, which recognizes them as citizens of Burma . The Nasaka collects the cattle list of Rohingya people to harass them and also imposes marriage restrictions, bars them from construction of new houses and mosques and imposes more restrictions on movements against the Rohingya people, he wrote in the letter.

Unfortunately, on November 28, 2007, the letter was found by a Nasaka agent named Iliyas, the ex-secretary of Buthidaung town at the post office and then handed over to the Police Station of Buthidaung, according to a close aide of the police.

On December 2, a group of police personnel numbering 7 went to Thayet Pyin village and arrested Haji Amir Hakim and brought him to Buthidaung police station. Police officers asked him by showing his letter why he had sent the letter to the BBC. He said, without fear, that the military government had been persecuting the people of Arakan, so badly, that he had written the letter to inform the world about the suffering of the Rohingya people, a village elder said.

The police officer also told him, "You have committed a crime. So, you decide for yourself what kind of punishment you deserve to get." Hakim replied, "Punish me as much as ex-Prime Minister Khin Nyunt."

He further said, "I have travelled many countries, but I have never been in a country………. that country's name is Burmese jail. Hearing this, the police officer severely tortured him and asked him to pay Kyat 200,000 for his release. He promptly refused to pay such money as he was not able to get such a big amount for bribing. However, he was released on December 3 by his relatives after paying some money to the police officer, according to the victim's family.
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Kaladan News
December 17, 2007

Farmers ordered to grow sun flowers, extra crops in Maungdaw

Maungdaw, Arakan State : The Maungdaw Township agriculture manager has ordered farmers of Maungdaw Township in Arakan State , Burma on December 11, to grow sunflowers and extra crops in their farmlands, according to a farmer.

On December 11, the township agriculture officer of Maungdaw town went to Bawli Bazaar village tracts and held a meeting inviting farmers, village elders, Village Peace and Development Council (VPDC) Chairmen, Secretaries and members and other concerned authorities. The meeting started at around 3 pm and ended at about 4 pm, the farmer added.

At the meeting, he instructed farmers to grow sun flowers and to grow paddy in their farms. He also told them to grow sun flower seeds within a yard of the land where crops are grown. Besides, in arable farmlands farmers were ordered to grow sun flower in winter.

The agriculture department provided farmers 1 kilogram of sun flower seeds per acre, but, the authorities collected kyat 2,500 per kg for the seeds, said a trader in the village.

On December 14, the Tactical Operation Commander (TOC) of Buthidaung town accompanied by District Peace and Development Council (DPDC) Chairman and Township Municipal Corporation officer went to Loung Don Natala (model) village of Maungdaw Township and asked the Natala villagers not to bother Rohingya villagers and impressed on them the need to live together as brothers. He also asked the VPDC Chairmen, members and villagers to grow sun flower and subsidiary crops in their farmlands. After that they went to Aung Tha Pray Nasaka camp and returned to Bawli Bazaar Nasaka Camp, according to Nasaka aide of BawliBazar.

On December 16, the TOC officer called a meeting in Bawli Bazaar inviting villagers, VPDC members and concerned authorities and told the meeting that villagers have to live peacefully in villages because, Arakan State is a small state and has not much arable land yet it is over populated. So, it is very important to practice family planning. Besides, it is very essential to grow extra crops and side by side to grow sun flowers.
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67 Migrants Shifted to Sittwe Prison
12/18/2007 (Narinjara)
Manaung: Sixty-seven migrants who were arrested recently on Manaung Island in Arakan State were shifted on Friday to Sittwe prison from Manaung police station, said Constable San Shwe Mya.
San Shwe Mya, who escorted the sixty-seven to Sittwe prison from Manaung aboard a ferry said, "We had to send them off to Sittwe via the Aung Zaya ferry ship on Friday after the high authority ordered them transferred to the Sittwe prison."
The 67 men were arrested by Burmese police on 28 November when they arrived at a village in Manaung Township after the engine on their boat failed at sea.
San Shwe Mya said that they had been traveling to Malaysia aboard the fishing boat to look for work, and the boat's engine went out along the way.
Among the 67 men, 54 are Burmese Muslims from Arakan, primarily Maungdaw and Buthidaung Township, and 13 are from Bangladesh.
According to an official source, a total of 69 people left the Bangladesh coast on board the fishing boat bound for Malaysia on 23 November, but two people died at sea.
Burmese authorities are now arranging to charge the men under immigration laws, and they are likely to face long-term imprisonment if they are found guilty of leaving to travel to Malaysia illegally, said the constable. #